I’ve learned so much about the cardiovascular system lately. First it turns out that oxygen is hauled around by tiny men on motorbikes, and now buttloaf_builds reveals where blood comes from – the Bloodsmith! This Bio-Cup entry makes extra eerie use of minifigure crowbars as spindly fingers on his four hands. And the golden tubing gives just the right pop of color without distracting from the deadly red and black. This is definitely a science lesson that’s gonna keep me up at night.
It’s always a pleasure when a really artistic LEGO build comes along. This sculpture of the Nigerian trickster Eshu by Buttloaf Builds is a really elegant take on the subject matter. Let’s start off by talking about those wire-thin limbs. Those are made from LEGO flex tubing, joined up to larger animal tail elements. Small bits of larger gauge silver flex tube and Technic bushings form jewelry, creating a visual break for those thin lines. I suspect there’s some photographic trickery going on to make this sculpture stand upright…or maybe it’s just divine intervention.
But as cool as those limbs are, Eshu’s face is even more impressive. A mix of Bionicle and System parts in sharply contrasting colors draw the viewer in. I’m particularly impressed with the creation of eyes from the negative space between sets of horn elements. And check out that necklace of Technic gears. There’s just enough curve in the construction there to create a very organic feel.
And the curves don’t stop there. Seen from the rear, you can really appreciate the work that went into shaping the headpiece. I’m not sure if it reminds me more of a ram’s horn or a xenomorph skull.
Questionable name or not, I think we’ll be seeing more creations from Buttloaf Builds in the future.
A LEGO builder who goes by the dubious name of buttloaf_builds (if that’s your real name!) has constructed something called The Gluttonous. It comes with the ominous quote; “Covet not lest you be devoured by your greed in turn.” That reminds me, unless you happen to live in devil-may-care Florida or Texas, most of us haven’t seen an all-you-can-eat buffet since before the pandemic. Nor are they giving away free samples at Trader Joe’s or Costco to stuff our faces with. Is this a good thing? Somehow it hasn’t stopped me from adding another inch to my ever-expanding waistline. Still, this is a pretty neat creation even if it’s a bit disturbing.
It is inspired by this mural painted by Coppo di Marcovaldo in circa 1260. It kind of makes you want to reconsider eating that third cookie now, doesn’t it?
